Govt to probe K’si Prison extortion claims

The Ministry for the Interior says it will probe media reports that prison authorities at the Kumasi Central Prisons request GHS2 from each person who visits an inmate.

According to a report by the Chronicle newspaper, the practice is rife at the prisons even though it contravenes section 38 of the Prisons Service Act, 1972, which prohibits payment of fees by visitors to the prisons.

Commenting on the report in an interview on Thursday, 9 November, Deputy Minister for the Interior Roger Quartey, expressed doubts about the report but gave assurance that the matter will be investigated.

“We need to be sure that it is not one of those wild allegations and rumours but now that it has come to our attention we will pass it on to see if there is any truth in it,” he said.